fragment
of fallen rock, to recover her breath and strength, while her companion, on
whose sinews no personal exertion seemed to make any impression, stood at her
side, leaning in his own, and not ungraceful manner on his long rifle. Several
minutes passed, and neither spoke; Mabel, in particular, being lost in
admiration of the view.
    The position the two had obtained was sufficiently elevated, to command a
wide reach of the lake, which stretched away towards the north east, in a
boundless sheet, glittering beneath the rays of an afternoon's sun, and yet
betraying the remains of that agitation which it had endured while tossed by the
late tempest. The land set bounds to its limits, in a huge crescent,
disappearing in distance towards the south-east and the north. Far as the eye
could reach, nothing but forest was visible, not even a solitary sign of
civilization breaking in upon the uniform and grand magnificence of nature. The
gale had driven the Scud beyond the line of those posts, with which the French
were then endeavoring to gird the English North American possessions, for
following the channels of communications between the great lakes, their posts
were on the banks of the Niagara, while our adventurers had reached a point many
leagues westward of that celebrated streight. The cutter rode at single anchor,
without the breakers, resembling some well imagined and accurately executed toy,
that was intended rather for a glass case, than for the struggles with the
elements which she had so lately gone through, while the canoe lay on the narrow
beach, just out of reach of the waves that came booming upon the land, a speck
upon the shingle.
    »We are very far, here, from human habitations!« exclaimed Mabel, when,
after a long and musing survey of the scene, its principal peculiarities forced
themselves on her active and even brilliant imagination; »this is indeed being
on a frontier!«
    »Have they more sightly scenes than this, nearer the sea, and around their
large towns?« demanded Pathfinder, with an interest he was apt to discover in
such a subject.
    »I will not say that; there is more to remind one of his fellow beings,
there than here; less, perhaps, to remind one of God.«
    »Ay, Mabel, that is what my own feelings say. I am but a poor hunter I know;
untaught and unlarned; but God is as near me, in this my home, as he is near the
king in his royal palace.«
    »Who can doubt it -«